I have a 1990 F150 4x4 w/ 5.0 Litre (302ci).
It also has a spark knock under load. I have had 3 garages try adjusting
the timing and have adjusted it myself. It never goes away. I have
replaced the control module under the distributor. Now I would like to
check the operation of the knock sensor (by pinging on it) and perhaps
replace it. But I can't find it! The computer at AutoZone said it was "on
the driver's side, below the valve cover, in the head." I didn't see any
knock sensor there or anywhere else. Help!
Ron

See the archives, we discussed this in length a short while back, but I'll
give you a clue, You have to be REALLY skinny, or you have to pull the upper
manifold, its on the back on the block, on top, behind the manifolds....fun
huh?
Later
Wayne Foy
'94 Flareside SC
"Hazardous Material"
Wayne's Page
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I just bought a 92 ford f150 4x4 with a 351. The truck has 149,000 miles on
it. Is the 351 for that year a good engine. The last time I had a 351 was in
a torino back in mid 70s. Is there any thing I may need to be aware of with
an engine with that many miles on it(intake gaskets, head gaskets, etc)? I
read a email last week about some engines may strart sucking air after
150,000 miles. what causes that? How long does that engine last before
rebuilding if it has been taken care of? I am also looking for a reasonable
priced driver side door for it. It has power windows and locks. would like
for it to be silver.
but will not be choosy.
Thanks

>See the archives, we discussed this in length a short while back, but I'll
>give you a clue, You have to be REALLY skinny, or you have to pull the
upper
>manifold, its on the back on the block, on top, behind the manifolds....fun
>huh?
>Later
>Wayne Foy
>'94 Flareside SC
>"Hazardous Material"
> Wayne's Page
>== FTE: Uns*bscribe and posting info http://www.ford-trucks.com/faq.html

>Separate those new ignition wires! You are knocking due to cross firing. If
>you can't separate them, reroute them.
>
They are separated. I know it is not crossfiring. It is definately a
pre-ignition knock while pulling at certain loads.

>See the archives, we discussed this in length a short while back, but I'll
>give you a clue, You have to be REALLY skinny, or you have to pull the upper
>manifold, its on the back on the block, on top, behind the manifolds....fun
>huh?

Well I am going to install new headers and am tearing all the topend
(except the heads) down to put in new gaskets to stop leaks, so I should be
able to easily find the knock sensor. But what do I do with it when I find
it? Is there a chance the computer will learn what is happening and the
knocking will stop on its own?

All the knock sensor does is retard the timing, when it detects a certain
"frequency" of noise or vibration. If the ECM doesn't "see" the sensor or get
a signal from it, of course it goes into default and runs it at a set level.
This would definitely cause the truck to detonate as the ECM wont "hear" the
knock and not control the timing. I would check the plug and make sure it is
contacting with the sensor, if that is the case and you were still hearing
the knock, then just replace the sensor. They are not expensive, but you will
need a HUGE socket..it's over a 1". By the way, have you run a vacuum check?
If the motor is pulling air in through some other place than the intake
tube...it would cause lean out and make it knock also.
My "clinkclink"
Wayne Foy
'94 Flareside SC
"Hazardous Material"
Wayne's Page
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Blake,
You can test the operation of the knock sensor by tapping on it (simulating
knocks) and verifying that the timing gets temporarily retarded (presumably
with a timing light.) At least that's the theory. If the sensor is
impossible to get to with the engine running, then I am just going to
replace mine. $24 at AutoZone.
My two cents,
Ron

>>See the archives, we discussed this in length a short while back, but I'll
>>give you a clue, You have to be REALLY skinny, or you have to pull the
upper
>>manifold, its on the back on the block, on top, behind the
manifolds....fun
>>huh?
>
>Well I am going to install new headers and am tearing all the topend
>(except the heads) down to put in new gaskets to stop leaks, so I should be
>able to easily find the knock sensor. But what do I do with it when I find
>it? Is there a chance the computer will learn what is happening and the
>knocking will stop on its own?
>
>
>Blake
>Little Mountain
>Concord, Ohio
>Early Oil Well Historian
>http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://little-mountain.com
>http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://little-mountain.com/blake
>Web site design http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://hitechdesign.com
>Desktop Publishing service
>"Society is safest when the criminals don't know who's armed."
>
>
>== FTE: Uns*bscribe and posting info http://www.ford-trucks.com/faq.html

I will take a look at that. I am planning on installing the new headers
sometime next week so will have everything apart. I should be able to look
at that sensor then. Does it screw right into the head? Perhaps into one of
the threaded holes on the back of the head? (where the alternator would
mount if the heads were swapped side to side).

Do those detectors go bad often? I will check and make sure I did not knock
a wire off someplace.

I had a similar problem on my 90 F150 EFI302. It would die out when idling
intermittently and when I added the fuel injector cleaner it seemed to get
better. Then a couple a weeks later the same thing. Everything came to a
head when the engine started racing on it's own at red lights. Turns out
the throttle position sensor (TPS) was going out and sending the wrong
resistance readings to the ECM which would either add fuel or decrease fuel
unnecessarily.

>Hey all!
>Perhaps someone out there may have an idea on my problem.
>Truck is an 89 F-150 XLT 351, A/T (not 4aod), 4x4, Supercab, Longbed, dual
>tank, with black pealing paint.
>All of a sudden (as in one day), at idle I'm getting a big up and down
>surge. The motor will go down and almost die then bounce back up and
>recover. The cycle continues at a rate of about 3-4 seconds each with no
>break. As soon as you bring it up off of idle the problem goes away and
the
>truck runs fine.
>
>Things I don't know...
> last time fuel filter was replaced,
> last tune up,
> who's going to win the Stanley Cup
>
>Things I do know...
> air filter is clean and new,
> both tanks have new clean gas in them,
> I put in 2 bottles of Techron with the new gas,
> I'd like to see Hasek meet Roy in the finals and have it go down to
game
>7 in double OT!
>
>I'm thinking it's a FI problem or something related to it. I don't think
>it's bad gas as it came on in the middle of a full tank whereas if it was
>bad gas it would have hit as soon as I filled it up. The Techron has
worked
>to clean up injectors in the past on other vehicles but I really think
>because this is only at idle that it's not the injectors but something
>related. Any ideas? Anyone have the same problem? I left the following
>quote from today's digest as just a thought, do I have an IAC Valve and
>could it be something like this?
>Anyone think a Belfour vs. Cujo matchup would be fun?
>Let me know!
>

Blake,
Supposedly, it screws right into the head. I have no idea how often they
fail. I'm not even sure mine has failed. The truck started knocking
immediately after the control module total failure. I replaced the
replacement control module, but that did not help. The knock sensor is next.
I really just grasping at straws. I'll let you know what I find. It will
probably be two weeks before I get to it.
Later, Ron

>Thanks Wayne and Ron,
>
>I will take a look at that. I am planning on installing the new headers
>sometime next week so will have everything apart. I should be able to look
>at that sensor then. Does it screw right into the head? Perhaps into one of
>the threaded holes on the back of the head? (where the alternator would
>mount if the heads were swapped side to side).
>
>Do those detectors go bad often? I will check and make sure I did not knock
>a wire off someplace.
>
>
>Blake
>Little Mountain
>Concord, Ohio
>Early Oil Well Historian
>http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://little-mountain.com
>http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://little-mountain.com/blake
>Web site design http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://hitechdesign.com
>Desktop Publishing service
>"Society is safest when the criminals don't know who's armed."
>
>
>== FTE: Uns*bscribe and posting info http://www.ford-trucks.com/faq.html

I just purchased a new Detroit locker and ring & pinion for my 8.8 and
was wondering what you guys thought about sythetic lube. I've hear
different opinions...some say to use regular 75/90 for break-in then
switch and then others say not to worry use the synthetic. I'm sure this
thread has only been covered a bazillion times. Sorry if it was a
current one.

Blake,
No its not mounted on the head, it is on the flat spot on the top of the
block behind the lower manifold. It is directly above (centered) the 2 upper
bellhousing bolts for the tranny. I doubt you can get to it just doing a
header install unless like I said before you are REALLY skinny.
Later
Wayne Foy
'94 Flareside SC
"Hazardous Material"
Wayne's Page
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Hey Bozo this is Moron. You missed the point but you probably miss a lot
of details. If you are looking for a cable or an antennae problem tune
the radio in to an am station. The weaker the better. The bad cable or
ant anne problems are easier to find with the weak station. The point is
check your system first ( you got some of it correct) before spending the
bucks on an amp. Yes you can listen to a lot of strong fm stations
without an antennae. Try the experiment of unplugging the antennae on an
fm station that is close in town. No change in volume.
a long way from a lot of radio stations out here.
Craig
Eggerman juno.com
Casper,Wyoming
O|||||O

I agree. It's definitely mounted to the block right where Wayne says it
is. The upper intake manifold will have to come off, and it is easier
with the lower half off.

Steve S.

FLR150 aol.com wrote:
>
> Blake,
> No its not mounted on the head, it is on the flat spot on the top of the
> block behind the lower manifold. It is directly above (centered) the 2 upper
> bellhousing bolts for the tranny. I doubt you can get to it just doing a
> header install unless like I said before you are REALLY skinny.
> Later
> Wayne Foy
> '94 Flareside SC
> "Hazardous Material"
> Wayne's Page
> == FTE: Uns*bscribe and posting info http://www.ford-trucks.com/faq.html
== FTE: Uns*bscribe and posting info http://www.ford-trucks.com/faq.html

OK, then double check that you did not accidentally switch two wires,
either at the plugs or at the distributor cap. I'm sure you were real
careful, but it DOES happen. (Ask me how I know!) Also, is distributor cap
clean and dry inside and out?

What year and what engine is this again?

At 11:21 26/05/99 -0500, you wrote:
>>Separate those new ignition wires! You are knocking due to cross firing. If
>>you can't separate them, reroute them.
>>
>They are separated. I know it is not crossfiring. It is definately a
>pre-ignition knock while pulling at certain loads.
>

>I agree. It's definitely mounted to the block right where Wayne says it
>is. The upper intake manifold will have to come off, and it is easier
>with the lower half off.
>

Thanks guys. I am going to pull both manifolds off anyway and replace the
gaskets. I have some kind of oil leak and I am not sure where it is-
perhaps front cover. I don't think I have to pull the distributor to get
the manifold off- at least on my 77 302 I did not have to.

I'm getting a lil tired of this dam truck locking up and going into
OD to early its so annoying...I'll be driving and i'll hit around 36 mph and
it'll just drop into OD and bogg at around 1300 rpm;s..I either have to hit
the gas at least a 1/4 of the way down to get it out or i have to turn the OD
off and then it just jumps up to over 2000 rpm''s and wants to fly.....I've
hit the brake pedal to see if it disengages but it doesn't it just boggs away
at 1300 rpm's at 36 mph...Thats just a few hundred rpm's above idle...Can
this be normal, i'm having a hard time believing that, my buddy's blazer
doesn't do anything like this in fact you'd never know it locked up to begin
with never mind bogg down ....Any clues i'd appreciate anything right now
cause its getting a lil old..................ding
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>OK, then double check that you did not accidentally switch two wires,
>either at the plugs or at the distributor cap. I'm sure you were real
>careful, but it DOES happen. (Ask me how I know!) Also, is distributor cap
>clean and dry inside and out?
>
>What year and what engine is this again?

The cap is new and in good shape. The truck runs fine and has good power,
but knocks a little pulling on hills.

"Joel Thomas" wrote:
>
> In my 84 F-150 i have a vinyl bench seat all the way across and no
> fold downs in the middle just a plain jane bench seat. is the any
> bucket seats out of anything that will fit into my truck with
> only minor changes I really need a bucket seat so I can use a
> console, and I really need a consoel to put stuff in and for the
> cupholders. people who own fords with benches, probably feel my
> pain about having no storage and/or cupholders. thanks for the
> help,

Joel: Like someone else suggested, go to a large junkyard, find some
seats you like, then pay out the rear for them. From my limited
knowledge, anything from 80-96 should fit in your truck without too
much hassle (but don't quote me on that).

I too had the bench seat blues: I have the full bench seat with the
fold out armrest in my truck, and no place to put my rather frequent
drive-thru meals. I looked at:

* Replacing the seat (expensive, and mine was in good shape)

* Floor consoles with cupholders (They make some nice ones that sit on
the tranny hump, but they can run $50-75 bucks. The cheap $5 ones
wouldn't hold a Biggie Frosty, and are a pain when you need to carry
that third person).

* Cupholders that attached to the dash or doors (too flimsy)

My solution: I ended up making a "console" that sits in the middle of
my seat in front of the armrest. It's a 12"x9" board covered in vinyl
that matches my dash. Two nylon straps lead from the front of it, down
under the seat, back up over the seat and connect back to the console
with snap buckles. It's hard to explain, but it's "belted" down to the
seat so it doesn't move but if I need to haul a third person, I can
easily unbuckle it and remove it.

Mounted to the top of it are two "Octopus" cupholders (that hold any
size drink securely) and two small plastic bins that fit a super-size
order of fries. Now I can hit a drive-thru and not have a cold crotch
or have my passenger try to feed me. It looks good, and was less work
than removing the seat. :-)

It cost me about $20, plus I have some vinyl left over for the next
project. Think about it, and see if this idea might make you happy
for less money/time/effort.

Well, first of all let me say thank you for all of the suggestions about
my clicking during acceleration problem. Unfortunately, it doesnt look
like any of them have given the desired results. As has been suggested, I
checked for loose spark plugs, no problem there. I have run some fuel
injector cleaner through my gas tank, no change there. There was a hole
in my muffler, which was replaced, but did not eliminate the clicking.

Some other suggestions included possibly a bad tappet, but the clicking
doesnt seem to be consistent enough to suggest that. A bad u-joint was
also mentioned, but after inspection, that doesnt seem to be it either.

Basically, I am experiencing a clicking-type sound during moderate
acceleration, usually in the mid-range of each gear. It is not present
during very light acceleration, but every time the gas pedal is depressed
even a decent amount, it can be heard. It is definitely not the engine
pinging, because I can notice that at different times. And the clicking
cannot be heard in neutral.

Does anyone have any other thoughts on this? I am by no means an
automotive expert, so I was hoping somebody here would know something
about this. My usual mechanic, who has been very trustworthy in the past,
seems to write this off as just being a ten year old pickup with a few
ten-year old pickup problems. However, being that this clicking started
all of a sudden, I would like to think it can be ended all of a sudden
too, so I am not giving up. Any help would be appreciated.

>My solution: I ended up making a "console" that sits in the middle of
>my seat in front of the armrest. It's a 12"x9" board covered in vinyl
>that matches my dash. Two nylon straps lead from the front of it, down
>under the seat, back up over the seat and connect back to the console
>with snap buckles. It's hard to explain, but it's "belted" down to the
>seat so it doesn't move but if I need to haul a third person, I can
>easily unbuckle it and remove it.
>
>Mounted to the top of it are two "Octopus" cupholders (that hold any
>size drink securely) and two small plastic bins that fit a super-size
>order of fries. Now I can hit a drive-thru and not have a cold crotch
>or have my passenger try to feed me. It looks good, and was less work
>than removing the seat. :-)
>
>It cost me about $20, plus I have some vinyl left over for the next
>project. Think about it, and see if this idea might make you happy
>for less money/time/effort.

But how do you shift? There is almost no place to mount a cup holder in
these trucks. I guess if you have electric windows you can mount them on
the doors, but if you don't, there is virtually no place to mount them. I
did put a folding one right on the dash to the right of the radio.

These are about the worst designed cabs I have seen-- give me a steel dash
that I can drill and put screws in to like my '78!!

I have a Bronco II that did that just after offroading.. they said it
was the u-joints in the drive shaft assembly.... meaning that if you
were to look at my driveshaft, you wouldn't be able to tell visually
that there were u-joinst on it, they are covered by a rubber boot!!!

Luke, I still think you have a small exhaust leak. Perhaps where the Y-pipe
bolts to one of the manifolds. It may only show under certain loads or when
the engine is torqued over just the right amount. I have had that happen
before and sometimes it is easier to just live with it than try to find it.

If you want to check the u-joint idea, slowly roll down a hill in nuetral
with the engine shut off and listen carefully.

I still think it is an exhaust leak at the manifold, probably where one
of the runners meets the head. Every symptom you have described points
to it. Such an exhaust leak (if minor) will most likely be undetectable
except when the engine is under load. A muffler leak will give a rumble
(even at idle), not a click.

Steve S.

Luke Michael Schreier wrote:
>
> Well, first of all let me say thank you for all of the suggestions about
> my clicking during acceleration problem. Unfortunately, it doesnt look
> like any of them have given the desired results. As has been suggested, I
> checked for loose spark plugs, no problem there. I have run some fuel
> injector cleaner through my gas tank, no change there. There was a hole
> in my muffler, which was replaced, but did not eliminate the clicking.....

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